Rosemary For Protection
Chapter 4
(A/N) I want to apologize for the editorial mistakes (spelling, grammar, and words missing or in odd places) in the last chapter, and to say that, to my knowledge, there are none in this chapter!
Molly preceded me up a set of grey stone stairs, and turned left down a hallway. She stopped at a door marked, in gold lettering, "Fifth Years", and entered. I saw four beds, one in each corner of the room.
Molly pointed to the one furthest from the door. "That's Lily's. The next one is yours, then mine, and the one nearest the door is Katie's. Have you met Katie?"
I shook my head, black hair waving with it. "Nope, but I'm sure I will soon enough."
The was a kind of strangled-sounding noise behind me, and I spun around. There stood the same strict-looking witch that had read off the names for the Sorting Hat.
"Oh, Professor McGonagall! What's the matter?" Molly exclaimed.
The Professor wiped away a couple of tears. "Actually, I came by to tell you that Katie will not arrive for another week. Her younger brother died yesterday, and his funeral is three days from now."
The look on Molly's stricken face told me that she had known Katie's little brother, and I leaned over and hugged her.
~
The next morning at breakfast, there wasn't too much conversation. The owls swooped in, there was food on the table, and Sirius was quiet. That bothered me.
"Sirius," I started, and paused to see if he was paying attention. He wasn't. "Sirius!" I tried again. He kept eating as if I had not made a sound.
James chuckled at my obvious confusion. "Sirius doesn't respond to anything, aside from a bucket of cold water dumped on his head, before he's finished eating. When he's done, I'm sure he'll be coherent. What's the matter?"
I hesitated, but had to ask. "Well, yesterday evening when we got to the Common Room, he thought it was funny that I took Malfoy down. But he called me a miniature Rottweiler! I was going to ask if there was some joke behind that."
Lily snorted with laughter. "With Sirius, everything is dogs somehow. Even his name! Sirius, the dog star."
Remus chimed in, "No kidding. But from him, being called a Rottweiler is a compliment. At least you're not a poodle or a dachsund!"
"Okay, point taken. Thanks." I told them.
Before I could ask anything else, an older student wearing a prefect badge strode down the table. "Fifth year course schedules! Oh, and for Rosemary Potter," He paused, looking for me. I reached out my hand. "There's a note. It says to see Professor McGonagall before breakfast ends, you'd better get up there!"
I scrambled. The Professor had just finished her bacon when I arrived in front of her. She looked up and smiled. "Ah yes, Miss Potter. Follow me."
She led me through several passageways and up two flights of stairs before she entered a room. "This is my office. Before we set your schedule, you'll need to pick your courses." She handed me a list of courses. Several were ticked off already (Charms, Transfiguration, Defense, Herbology, Potions, and History of Magic), but the list told me I could pick two more. I chose Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures.
Professor McGonagall looked surprised. "I'm surprised you picked Magical Creatures. It's usually standard fare, but as you're part creature you were exempted. Are you sure you want to take it? Know that Professor Kettleburn may use you as an example occasionally. Do you have wings?"
I nodded. "Yes, and they can support my weight if I really want them to."
She looked delighted, like a child who's been told that Christmas is coming twice this year. "Really? That's wonderful! But how do you keep them hidden?"
Finally, someone had asked! I grinned. "Actually, they're not hidden at all. Not really. My old Professor put a Will Charm on them, so you can't see them unless you look for them. Look carefully - they come out to just past my fingertips and to the floor."
Her face lit up, and she looked twenty years younger in that instant. "Oh my heavens... They're incredible! I wondered why your robes laced up those darts. Regular robes wouldn't allow for those..." She trailed off.
Feeling strangely satisfied, I told her, "You're the only person who's asked about wings. I told Molly Bullen, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and James Potter. None of them even asked."
She looked vaguely disappointed. "I thought at least Mr. Lupin would have thought of that. But I assume he was distracted when he found out you knew about his lycanthopy?"
I nodded. "I could pick him and James out from a distance."
The Professor looked slightly lost. "James? James Potter?"
"Yes... never mind. So I'll be taking Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures to complement my required courses?"
She nodded, businesslike once more. "Yes. And Miss Potter?"
I looked up to face her. "I would appreciate you not mentioning the Will Charm unless someone asks. The more people who know about it, the less effective it is. Re-casting it would require someone to do it, and I'm not suer how many people at this school are capable."
That made sense. "Yes, Professor. Do I have a schedule?"
She handed me a sheet of parchment with class days and times on it. I looked it over, mentally making notes to compare with Lily and Molly later. "Thanks, Professor!" I chirped, and skipped out.
I thought I knew where I was going, but very quickly I realized I was lost. "Professor McGonagall?" No reply. "Damn." Not knowing what else to do, I took a rew random turns, hoping and praying to come across someone, even a Slytherin would do.
"Young lady! Why aren't you in class?" A harsh voice called down the corridor from behind me.
I whirled around, and was immensely relieved to see a thin old man striding towards me, with a nasty smile scrawled on his face.
"I was lost! Oh, I'm SO glad to see you!" I gushed.
He paused, as if he wasn't used to hearing anything like that, and I held out my hand. "I'm Rosemary Potter."
The old man scowled. "Filch. I'm the caretaker. Why aren't you in class, instead of tracking up my clean corridor?" He demanded.
"I told you, I was lost. I was in Professor McGonagall's office getting my schedule, and then couldn't remember where to go."
He gave me an appraising look. "Rosemary Potter... the new student?"
I nodded. "That's me."
He sneered. "Follow me." He led me through a twisted maze of corridors and stairs, and ended up back in the Great Hall. "Don't expect any more help."
~~~~~
(A/N) That's all for now, folks! Seeing as this is the first time I've updated in months, hope it wasn't too disappointing!
Chapter 4
(A/N) I want to apologize for the editorial mistakes (spelling, grammar, and words missing or in odd places) in the last chapter, and to say that, to my knowledge, there are none in this chapter!
Molly preceded me up a set of grey stone stairs, and turned left down a hallway. She stopped at a door marked, in gold lettering, "Fifth Years", and entered. I saw four beds, one in each corner of the room.
Molly pointed to the one furthest from the door. "That's Lily's. The next one is yours, then mine, and the one nearest the door is Katie's. Have you met Katie?"
I shook my head, black hair waving with it. "Nope, but I'm sure I will soon enough."
The was a kind of strangled-sounding noise behind me, and I spun around. There stood the same strict-looking witch that had read off the names for the Sorting Hat.
"Oh, Professor McGonagall! What's the matter?" Molly exclaimed.
The Professor wiped away a couple of tears. "Actually, I came by to tell you that Katie will not arrive for another week. Her younger brother died yesterday, and his funeral is three days from now."
The look on Molly's stricken face told me that she had known Katie's little brother, and I leaned over and hugged her.
~
The next morning at breakfast, there wasn't too much conversation. The owls swooped in, there was food on the table, and Sirius was quiet. That bothered me.
"Sirius," I started, and paused to see if he was paying attention. He wasn't. "Sirius!" I tried again. He kept eating as if I had not made a sound.
James chuckled at my obvious confusion. "Sirius doesn't respond to anything, aside from a bucket of cold water dumped on his head, before he's finished eating. When he's done, I'm sure he'll be coherent. What's the matter?"
I hesitated, but had to ask. "Well, yesterday evening when we got to the Common Room, he thought it was funny that I took Malfoy down. But he called me a miniature Rottweiler! I was going to ask if there was some joke behind that."
Lily snorted with laughter. "With Sirius, everything is dogs somehow. Even his name! Sirius, the dog star."
Remus chimed in, "No kidding. But from him, being called a Rottweiler is a compliment. At least you're not a poodle or a dachsund!"
"Okay, point taken. Thanks." I told them.
Before I could ask anything else, an older student wearing a prefect badge strode down the table. "Fifth year course schedules! Oh, and for Rosemary Potter," He paused, looking for me. I reached out my hand. "There's a note. It says to see Professor McGonagall before breakfast ends, you'd better get up there!"
I scrambled. The Professor had just finished her bacon when I arrived in front of her. She looked up and smiled. "Ah yes, Miss Potter. Follow me."
She led me through several passageways and up two flights of stairs before she entered a room. "This is my office. Before we set your schedule, you'll need to pick your courses." She handed me a list of courses. Several were ticked off already (Charms, Transfiguration, Defense, Herbology, Potions, and History of Magic), but the list told me I could pick two more. I chose Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures.
Professor McGonagall looked surprised. "I'm surprised you picked Magical Creatures. It's usually standard fare, but as you're part creature you were exempted. Are you sure you want to take it? Know that Professor Kettleburn may use you as an example occasionally. Do you have wings?"
I nodded. "Yes, and they can support my weight if I really want them to."
She looked delighted, like a child who's been told that Christmas is coming twice this year. "Really? That's wonderful! But how do you keep them hidden?"
Finally, someone had asked! I grinned. "Actually, they're not hidden at all. Not really. My old Professor put a Will Charm on them, so you can't see them unless you look for them. Look carefully - they come out to just past my fingertips and to the floor."
Her face lit up, and she looked twenty years younger in that instant. "Oh my heavens... They're incredible! I wondered why your robes laced up those darts. Regular robes wouldn't allow for those..." She trailed off.
Feeling strangely satisfied, I told her, "You're the only person who's asked about wings. I told Molly Bullen, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and James Potter. None of them even asked."
She looked vaguely disappointed. "I thought at least Mr. Lupin would have thought of that. But I assume he was distracted when he found out you knew about his lycanthopy?"
I nodded. "I could pick him and James out from a distance."
The Professor looked slightly lost. "James? James Potter?"
"Yes... never mind. So I'll be taking Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures to complement my required courses?"
She nodded, businesslike once more. "Yes. And Miss Potter?"
I looked up to face her. "I would appreciate you not mentioning the Will Charm unless someone asks. The more people who know about it, the less effective it is. Re-casting it would require someone to do it, and I'm not suer how many people at this school are capable."
That made sense. "Yes, Professor. Do I have a schedule?"
She handed me a sheet of parchment with class days and times on it. I looked it over, mentally making notes to compare with Lily and Molly later. "Thanks, Professor!" I chirped, and skipped out.
I thought I knew where I was going, but very quickly I realized I was lost. "Professor McGonagall?" No reply. "Damn." Not knowing what else to do, I took a rew random turns, hoping and praying to come across someone, even a Slytherin would do.
"Young lady! Why aren't you in class?" A harsh voice called down the corridor from behind me.
I whirled around, and was immensely relieved to see a thin old man striding towards me, with a nasty smile scrawled on his face.
"I was lost! Oh, I'm SO glad to see you!" I gushed.
He paused, as if he wasn't used to hearing anything like that, and I held out my hand. "I'm Rosemary Potter."
The old man scowled. "Filch. I'm the caretaker. Why aren't you in class, instead of tracking up my clean corridor?" He demanded.
"I told you, I was lost. I was in Professor McGonagall's office getting my schedule, and then couldn't remember where to go."
He gave me an appraising look. "Rosemary Potter... the new student?"
I nodded. "That's me."
He sneered. "Follow me." He led me through a twisted maze of corridors and stairs, and ended up back in the Great Hall. "Don't expect any more help."
~~~~~
(A/N) That's all for now, folks! Seeing as this is the first time I've updated in months, hope it wasn't too disappointing!